Reynolds: #'s point to play-in-game for Braves

[Big Mike]

You make some good points and raise someinteresting discussion topics, but go a little overboard on others. I doubt very much that the 60000 readers want to read about Walt's grandmother, what the seniors' parents think about their son's careers or if Egolf's knee still bothers him. Those are not newsworthy IMO

Like you said its just your opinion...others are interested in those topics and more!
If I had my way there would be a weekly article on each player over and above the game-day piece...behind the scences since there is no "media guide" to get info anymore...even do pieces on the asst. coaches who are part of the team! There is more to my Bradley World than the hire or fire a coach during the season...JMO!

[tornado]

Can you imagine the backlash on here if someone from the paper had the NERVE to ask those questions........

well....let's see...........I know those weren't aimed at me but I will take the bait...

Why does Les call timeouts after made baskets?
...he doesn't do it very often but lots of coaches do it so the other team can't fast break, so the defense can set up, and so time doesn't tick off while the ball rolls on the floor and the other team inbounds it...

Why does Will Egolf commit fouls 25 ft from the rim?
...as noted, this has been addressed, and Will doesn't do it on purpose....every team in D-I uses high screens, but in the MVC it is called as schizophrenically as anywhere --

Why did Les go into this season with no true second point guard knowing his primary point guard was coming off surgery?
...are you serious??? Where have you been for three years?? Jim Les had multiple options for PG..but SM is injured, DN transferred, Eddren bombed out, and Dodie was set back a year and might never be as good as he was because of the devastating injury to his right arm. PG is the top priority for this team so we have another good one coming in next fall.

Why has Les not developed Anthony Thompson into a servicable 5 in the Missouri Valley after announcing that he was his most talented big man he has coached since POB?
...I'd like to see the link proving he ever said such a thing -- I think all he said was that AT at one point a few years ago was further along than POB was initially. Anyway -- Coach Les can only do so much -- you can't make a silk purse....you know...

Why Jim Les has not recruited a pure shooting guard since JC graduated, and if Milos was that recruit why does he not play more minutes?
..might come as a surprise but it has been a priority but they don't grow on trees. And manybe it comes as a surprise, but clearly it is NOT Milos and was never intended to be...check for yourself as Milos is SF not a guard at all!

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19333&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=204799743&Q_SEASON=2010

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1623456&SPID=1498&SPSID=25965

Does ISU have a good shooting guard? Does SIU? Who does in the MVC?? Could maybe we have the best one -- maybe even two of the best ones in AW and DSE???
This is the kind of question that proves Peoria is the land of 10,000 coaches all of whom think they can do better than the guy in the hot seat.


and as noted -- almost all those topics have been covered a bunch in a lot of locations..but I wouldn't mind seeing the local paper ask more of the same questions......

[SFP]

Just in case you may be referring to me, I can tell you for a fact DR does NOT write to aggravate me. DR knows I like him - I've told him personally I enjoy reading his articles.

I kinda stopped reading everyone else's rant on this because MM reads the PJS, if even one writer. I also like DR's article for the most part, it's the other guy that gets under my skin.

[BuB]

Sorry if these questions all listed were ever raised in a piece by Wessler or Reynolds specifically asking or wondering about each and everyone of them they'd be raked over the coals for having an agenda and running the program into the ground...PERIOD.

The someone would ask for some more fluff feel good stories about how Will Egolf lets a vision challenged hairdresser cut his latest "do"......

I just assumed he lost a bet.

[Bravesfan]

I can think of plenty Id like to know that has not been asked or answered.

Why does Les call timeouts after made baskets?

Why does Will Egolf commit fouls 25 ft from the rim?

Why did Les go into this season with no true second point guard knowing his primary point guard was coming off surgery?

Why has Les not developed Anthony Thompson into a servicable 5 in the Missouri Valley after announcing that he was his most talented big man he has coached since POB?

Why Jim Les has not recruited a pure shooting guard since JC graduated, and if Milos was that recruit why does he not play more minutes?

I have plenty things I would like to have known about this team, the program and its players.

Some good questions, but you probably won't get more out of Les than what he feels like saying. Basically he will say "we have tried to develop everyone, but they are not buying into the system", or "the injuries have taken their toll but I'm still proud of the effort everyone is giving." In other words, I'm more than sure these questions have been asked of him, but you won't get anything more than he wants to say. But regardless, a lot of this has already been address if not only by PJS, by some of our posters here as well.

Regarding Les's tendency to call timeouts after baskets. Well many coaches do that. I saw Homer Drew of Valparaiso call a timeout after a basket during their comeback against Butler a couple of weeks ago. It did not seem to slow up their momentum, and like most coaches will attest to, this was probably done to set up a defensive play to keep the other team from making an easy bucket. I've seen just about every college and pro coach call timeouts like this. So I don't think Les is any different than any other coach in this regard.

[Bravesfan]

Please. There is no shortage of serious shots at BU and JL by the pjs.
Every other newspaper that follows the other 9 MVC teams write more articles, and with more information about the team, the players, and everything about the program than the PJ Star does about BU. And they do it without delving into what the players' girlfriends are saying.
If you need examples, let me know. Here is just 1 such example- multiple stories posted every day, not just on game days.-

http://www.omaha.com/section/bluejays

Even the pj star apologists cannot deny that the Omaha World-Herald's coverage of the Bluejays puts the local coverage to shame. And despite the underachieving team, and the lack of serious injuries to excuse it, there is very little focus on the negatives. And there are negatives, just look at the CU message boards.
Just the fact that you can't think of anything else the reporters could possibly tell us about the team and players shows how uninformed even intelligent and dedicated fans here are.

And for the record: I think Dave Reynolds does a fantastic job. He is the best beat writer that Bradley has ever had.

Some great coverage on the Creighton website. And if any newspaper had reason to write a negative article regarding Creighton, it would have been the OWH considering how CU was Bradley's first conference win of the season! But some very professional journalism from this outfit, which is a pleasure for a change.

[Bravesfan]

has anyone ever written about TB's eye problems or heart testing, SM's foot operation, which decade will AW be in on the All-Decade team, or AD's shiner?? Enquiring minds want to know.

Or how about even the possibility of a solid team next year provided we get everyone back? I know I haven't seen one article regarding this yet!

[Buesch N Chips]

I've seen just about every college and pro coach call timeouts like this. So I don't think Les is any different than any other coach in this regard.

Yes but we have a group of coaches on this board and the other who are far more knowledgeable than those silly college and pro coaches.

[Bravesfan]

I am a fan that doesn't log in often, but I enjoy reading the bulletin board and newpaper about Bradley. I know a lot of fans like me who would love to read more about the players and team, but don't get it from the paper. I am sure that's why this site is so popular. Please don't tell me the Journal Star couldn't find more things to report about. The Journal Star has a circulation reported to be about 60,000. How many of them are Bradley fans? I am sure at least half of them have some interest in Bradley, and many are regular fans.
If the Journal Star can find time and space to write followup articles about Mike Vandegard, why not the dozens of great former Bradley players we never hear anything about. Aren't some of them still playing professionally? Aren't a lot of them into coaching? Don't many of them still live locally? I see a number of them at games. I'd like to hear about them. If they would like names, I'd be glad to submit the names.
Here are some other topics I have heard Bradley fans talk about and yet the paper written little or nothing about:
Andrew Warren and Dodie Dunson are the only to seniors that appear certain to leave. What are their plans after leaving Bradley? Will they both get their degrees? What do they think about their careers at Bradley?
Sam Maniscalco is also a senior. Is he graduating? How is his ankle? When will the boot come off? When will he start playing basketball again? Does he look forward to playing next year at Bradley?
Taylor Brown- when will he be re-tested? How is his class video project coming? What does he think about the heart problem? Is there any history of heart problems in his family? Does he attend every practice? What is he allowed to do? Could the reporters get some infomation from local doctors about what this condition is all about? What are the risks?
How is Dodie's arm that was broken? Does it still bother him any?
What do the parents of Dodie, and Andrew think about their sons' careers at Bradley? What do the Manisalcos think? And the Prossers? They and some of the other players' families are at almost every game, it would be easy to get some insight from them about their thoughts on the team and their sons' careers.
Walt Lemon's grandmother just passed away. I have heard he was very close to her and she helped raise him. How has this tragedy affected Walt?
Is Andrew Davis still with the team? What's the story there?
How do the other local players like Jordan Prosser and Dyricus Simms-Edwards like playing for the hometown team?
Does Will's surgical knee still bother him? How close do his parents follow Bradley and Will's progress?
How do the walkon kids feel about not playing much? I'd like to know more about them.
I could list dozens more topics, but hopefully, people see that there is plenty that fans would like to know more about.

Also, the Journal Star recently printed a letter to the sports page compaining that Bradley never recruits local players. I got a real howl over that. I can't remember any local players that Bradley didn't recruit that didn't either go to a higher school (like Bill Cole) or who would have helped Bradley. Yet the paper prints such nonsense without even asking the writer to give a single name. We have been privilidged to watch such local players as Daniel Ruffin, Marcellus Sommerville, Danny Adams, Jeremy Crouch, Dyricus Simms-Edwards, Jordan Prosser, Dodie Dunson, and soon Donivine Stewart. I wish the paper would question the accuracy of such inaccurate statements before publishing them, but maybe that doesn't apply if its negative.

EXCELLENT!!! The post of the year so far!

I'd like to know how DD's and WE's former injuries are effecting them. While I certainly don't question their focus or effort, perhaps knowing the answers to those questions would go a long way towards explaining why their play has been erratic at times this year.

[Bravesfan]

You make some good points and raise someinteresting discussion topics, but go a little overboard on others. I doubt very much that the 60000 readers want to read about Walt's grandmother, what the seniors' parents think about their son's careers or if Egolf's knee still bothers him. Those are not newsworthy IMO

Well knowing if Egolf's knee still bothers him is important. That would at least partially explain the quality of his play this year (see my above post).

[Bravesfan]

Yes but we have a group of coaches on this board and the other who are far more knowledgeable than those silly college and pro coaches.

Yeah. That we do!

[epistibrain]

"So you're telling me there's a chance" - Lloyd

Wow, Boogie, that would have made the whole thing work beautifully, if only Dave Reynolds had thought of it.

[Da Coach]

People don't think the Journal star does a very good job so they are critical of them yet when someone doesn' think BU and JL are doing a very good job they are blasted for those thoughts/opinions.

The double standard is whats funny.

I don't see anyone "blasted" for their negative opinions. They are all over this board.
I see a lot more vitriol directed at those who don't agree with the negative nellies.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions. The only posts removed are those that can't state them within the rules of this forum.

I don't see anything wrong with disagreeing with those who write for the PJ Star. The biggest "double-standard" that exists here is that those who feel like ripping everything Bradley attack anyone who criticizes their standard bearers at the PJ Star.

[houstontxbrave]

[QUOTE=[I]Why did Les go into this season with no true second point guard knowing his primary point guard was coming off surgery?[/I]
...are you serious??? Where have you been for three years?? Jim Les had multiple options for PG..but SM is injured, DN transferred, Eddren bombed out, and Dodie was set back a year and might never be as good as he was because of the devastating injury to his right arm. PG is the top priority for this team so we have another good one coming in next fall.

Tornado,

The key word to your rant is "HAD". He "HAD" point guards. You neglected to answer the question as to why he went into this season with no other true 1 knowing SM was coming off a surgery.

But I digress because I shouldnt expect any less. I did not ask the questions to get opinions/excuses from you. Coach stated the following:

"Just the fact that you can't think of anything else the reporters could possibly tell us about the team and players shows how uninformed even intelligent and dedicated fans here are."

I can appreciate that you felt the need to step up and answer for Les and give excuses, links, opinions whatever to answer my questions.

The facts are he does not have any second point guard, he has not developed a 4th year 7fter to do anything in a league void of many other 7fters, he has not recruited one guy since JC who can shoot the ball with any consistancy, he has a 4th year player who is close to leading the nation in fouls and fouling out of games and he is the head coach of a team that is the worst in a very average MVC.

Oh and just for kicks I think him calling timeouts after made baskets is silly and is not common in college basketball. But then again that is just my opinion/excuse.

[Da Coach]

The facts are he does not have any second point guard, he has not developed a 4th year 7fter to do anything in a league void of many other 7fters, he has not recruited one guy since JC who can shoot the ball with any consistancy, he has a 4th year player who is close to leading the nation in fouls and fouling out of games and he is the head coach of a team that is the worst in a very average MVC.

Bradley has the best shooting guard in the MVC, and one of the top all-time scorers in Bradley's great history- Andrew Warren. Why have you chosen to ignore him? Why don't you give some credit to Jim Les for recruiting and developing him? Obviously it makes your claim that he hasn't recruited anyone who can shoot consistently easier if you completely ignore one of the best shooters in the MVC.

Jim Les also developed the best 7-footer the MVC has had in the past decade- Patrick O'Bryant. He hasn't had another one since POB, but you act like every team has had quality 7-footers every year. Really? Who among the "many other 7fters" are you referring to?

And I don't think Jim Les is responsible for Will's fouls, just as I also don't think the entire blame for Bradley's record is Jim Les' fault. We did lose 2 starters who were preseason All-MVC picks.